The story so far:

---- Aija and the others are on the South-Land. They are waiting for the Leadership to attack. Aija finds out that The Gale was attacked on the Main Lands, and she worries for her brother - Rei/Goldstar. Goldstar is alive. They lost the Premiere, Leigh, Tailyn, Arah Lin. His leg is broken and his finger missing. Ze is getting better in his training. Ze and Ruyanir aren't married yet. Avery gets copies of the Leadership's experiments from Tailyn And feels bad for doubting Goldstar.

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****4.1. ZURI ****

Sun rays filtered through tree branches; fiery halo over red hair.

The earliest memories of her first crush: Dhara.

Zuri had always had a crush on Dhara, the cheerful, pretty girl in her school. They had common friends and often spent a lot of time with the other as part of the same group. Zuri hadn't even pretended to like boys when the group discussed the cute boys in their class. But she'd refrained from calling Dhara cute or pretty, afraid of what it would trigger. When Dhara had hoped the Leadership would choose one of the guys from their class to be engaged and married, Zuri was tempted to ask the girl out. When Dhara had asked Zuri who she had a crush on, she'd wanted to say 'you'. But again, she'd remained silent.

And one day, she learnt that Dhara was missing. The rumours were that she'd run off – with another girl from school. Zuri had been so shocked, she'd skipped school that day. She'd regretted not taking her chance and felt stunned that Dhara, who had hoped Omar would be her future partner, had run with a girl.

It wasn't uncommon in the Outer City perimeters for lovers to run – the Leadership didn't pay much attention to them. The Leadership did arrange marriage but did nothing of those who defected. Or perhaps the Leadership did seek them out and punished them. They would never know.

Zuri had heard of girls running away with other girls, also boys with boys. When she'd heard of Dhara, Zuri wasn't sure if she'd run. For Zuri, her family was everything; or maybe she hadn't liked Dhara enough to run away with her, leaving behind family.

Zuri stood at the window of the Staff Room, watching the school gates. The girl she volunteered with would show up any minute: face buried in her DigiBook, long black hair swishing.

Aija Niyarah, the other girl who had joined as a volunteer with Zuri and the boy – Ze Roan – was the quiet sort. Zuri found her always reading on her device in her free time, even during lunch – eyes on her book as she, somehow skilfully, ate her food without a glance towards the tray. On some days, when she arrived at the Staff Room, Aija gave Zuri a smile before she settled at her desk and returned to her book. Zuri, time after time, had tried to talk to Aija; a month had passed now without a word between them. Ze spoke to Zuri, but Zuri wanted to speak with Aija.

Zuri found Aija bewitching. Aija didn't hold conventional beauty – not everyone would find her beautiful. But her uniqueness was striking; on days, her straight hair seemed wavy, and Zuri couldn't decide if Aija's eyes were rounded or mono-lidded. Her grey eyes were stark against the honey-gold of her skin, under thick lashes. And the minuscule gap between her front two teeth made her oddly cute.

But Zuri wanted to talk to Aija, more so because she wanted a friend at Innermost and Aija intrigued her. Always reading, Zuri had yet to hear Aija's voice. And despite her shy demeanour, she seemed nice. Maybe Aija needed someone to talk to her first.

Zuri spotted Aija at the gates, face obscured by the DigiBook. In approximately three minutes, the girl would enter the Staff Room, and Zuri had to give talking to her a shot. Zuri sat at her desk, staring at the door. Ms Ri and Mr May gave Zuri concerned side-ways glances, wondering at her stiff posture and eyes trained on the door. Zuri hoped they wouldn't compromise her concentration by asking what was wrong or what she was doing.

Aija appeared at the doorway to the room, DigiBook lowered; she gave Zuri one of her demure smiles and placed her bag on her designated desk as she greeted the two older teachers. Aija sat, and seeing that there still was time for the school-day to officially begin, she returned her attention to the device.

Zuri cleared her throat. "Aija,"

The girl's concentration remained on the device, and Zuri suspected she hadn't been loud enough. Just as she decided to repeat her name, Aija slowly lowered the DigiBook and blinked at Zuri, unsure of her name had, indeed, been called.

"Hi," Zuri told her.

Aija smiled.

"I'm Zuri,"

Aija nodded.

"Would you like to join me at lunch today?"

Aija's eyes flitted between Zuri and her DigiBook, and Zuri feared her answer would be a fierce 'no'. Zuri sighed; she hadn't anticipated it to be this taxing. Even Mr May and Ms Ri waited for Aija's answer, their gazes on the long-haired girl expectant.

Aija didn't speak. But she smiled and nodded in acceptance, filling Zuri's heart with triumph.

*'*

Zuri barged into every room in the old house, seeking out her best friend.

Even though Nala had briefed Zuri vaguely about Thieron, she'd been shocked by his stance in the matter. She knew he hadn't told them every detail of what happened in the Open and what exactly made him kill Alton, the Leader of H'eon on Earth. They hadn't had time – they needed to rest and prepare for the brought to the South-Land by the Leadership. But it was clear Thieron was on the right side of matters.

Aija seemed to be taking Thieron's identity the hardest. She ignored him; he too kept far from her, and Zuri wondered what had transpired between them. Yes, Thieron had gone from villain to hero overnight. But wasn't that a brilliant way for how the issue with the Àvo had ended? Why did Aija appear bothered by it?

Zuri peered into the last of the dark rooms upstairs: empty.

"She's on the roof,"

Zuri snapped around. The Ytai named Var-Inu stood in the hallway, dressed in sweats. She didn't know much about the Ytai, but was aware of the death-glares Thieron threw him whenever he tried to speak or offer suggestions. Thieron had asked the man why he hadn't left yet; Var-Inu had only said that they'd need the extra help in the battle against the Leadership's Army.

While discussing each of their powers and how to pair themselves for the fight, Zuri had learnt that Var-Inu had the power of fire, like Luka. She'd discovered that she could tap into Nala's abilities through the bond – shielding. Zuri lived it; it made her feel powerful.

"Thank you," she told the Ytai.

Var-Inu smiled and left her alone in the hallway. Zuri headed upstairs and found a tiny access-door to the roof. She climbed out and saw Aija seated on the ridge of the roof, bundled in a dark-grey coat, staring at the horizon, lost in thought.

Aija had taken the news of the Gale bombings terribly. She'd cried long for her brother Rei and her family, that was now in trouble with the Gale. Zuri hadn't known how to console her. What does one say to a person who possibly lost a sibling? Thieron had been worried about Aija; he'd sat outside her room while she cried herself to sleep. Zuri had asked him to go in and talk to Aija, but he'd refused. Zuri found their silent feud bizarre.

"Ai,"

Aija flinched as she turned to face her.

"Sorry; didn't mean to scare you," Zuri sat next to her best friend.

"It's okay," Aija murmured, eyes puffy.

"Weren't you supposed to be out with Thieron, Ayr'i, and Hra'an?"

Aija, Thieron, Ayr'i, and Hra'an were tasked with rendering the Leadership's jets inoperable. The Leadership benefitted mainly from the fighter aircraft and the bombs, and if they could be damaged, half the Leadership's force would be defeated before they attacked.

"We went," Aija replied, "we couldn't get into their base. It's highly guarded; even getting to the jets directly using the stone was a risk. Each jet was manually monitored."

Zuri groaned. It would be troublesome to deal with aircraft. "I guess you and Thieron must find a way during the fight."

Aija breathed out in a harsh rasp. Zuri had noticed that no air-barrier protected the South-Land like on the Main Lands. The air here, a tad bit colder, felt pure.

"What's with you and Thieron? Both ignoring the other,"

Aija glanced at her feet, not responding.

"It's as if you're each waiting for the other to talk first,"

"I don't want to talk to him," spat Aija, tone barbed. "If he wants to talk to me, he can."

Zuri observed Aija for a moment before fixing her gaze on the edge of the roof. She rubbed her palms, blowing air onto them, shivering though she wore an overcoat; still, it wasn't as cold as she remembered it to be on Ytèan.

"I want this fight to get over, and just...you know, be anywhere else, do anything else."

"I know," Zuri said. "Waiting sucks."

The two slumped into a bout of silence. An awful lot had happened to them in the past few months. So much had changed. Zuri didn't mind it all; it had brought Nala to her, and she still had her best friend by her. But Aija seemed unsettled by everything. Zuri felt terrible for not being there more for her when, visibly, Aija needed someone.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm worried about my family; Avi and Asahi are too young for this."

Zuri thought of Alex and pictured him learning she was missing. She'd been gone for so long; they likely thought she wasn't returning. And Zuri had decided to go with Nala to Ytèan before going home. She knew she should go home once, just to let them know she was alive and well, but she wanted to move ahead with Nala. Zuri wondered if this was how Dhara Reid had felt when she'd run. Zuri hadn't yet told Aija her plans; she wanted Aija to join her. But she didn't know what Aija wanted to do. It felt like Aija wished to be anywhere where the rest of their current Ytai companions weren't. Aija avoided them like one did the Plague. Zuri had seen Xan stealing sandwiches for Aija when she refused to join them to eat.

"I miss you, Zuri,"

Zuri flicked her head up. "I'm sorry,"

"For what?"

"I haven't been there for you. I've been with Nala all the time."

Aija shook her head. When she spoke, her tone was candid. "I don't resent you and Nala. I'm happy that you're happy. I...I just miss you, you know."

Zuri regarded Aija, mood sombre.

"I miss you, I miss Ze. I miss those silly dinners we had after school hours. I just miss our old life." Aija mused. "I don't hate who I've become. But I also miss who I was; I've changed, and there's no going back."

Zuri embraced Aija. She whispered, "I know."

The two girls sat on the rooftop, silent but in comfort for a long time.

****

Zuri convinced Aija to eat.

Aija sat at the table, eating what Luka had prepared. Whatever it was, it tasted good, but Aija took tiny bites, more interested in pushing the food around. Luka had tried to get her to eat more, but she hadn't; he sat by her side pretending to look at his Scroll, attention on Aija, trying to see if she ate.

Nala and Thieron were outside with Thieron's sister, Ayr'i, having practice fights. Ayr'i kept to herself or spent time with Thieron. Zuri couldn't blame her; she barely knew anyone there. The cousins, A'ed and D'ea, were snickering as they watched something on their Scroll. Xan had curled up on the table beside Aija, eyes closed. Zuri knew he was awake. Hra'an and Var-Inu were conversing in the other corner of the living room. In no manner did it look like they awaited the start of a battle.

Zuri knew to hope a few Ytai and two humans with powers were enough to stop the Leadership's Army was foolish. She, too, like Aija, wanted this over soon.

Thieron burst into the room, Scroll in hand, trailed by Nala and Ayr'i. He opened his mouth to speak and halted when his eyes landed on Aija. Aija held his stare for as long as he did. Thieron recovered from seeing her, finally, downstairs with the others, and sprung his gaze away from Aija onto the others.

"Ba'diur informed that the Army's making its move," announced Thieron. "We must hurry."

"Skrnoè," the cousins grinned in unison and left to get dressed.

"Do you want to go with me?" Luka placed a hand on Aija's shoulder.

Zuri didn't miss Thieron's frown at Luka's gesture. But, without a word, he left with Ayr'i. Nala waited for Zuri; Zuri sent her to get dressed and waited for Aija.

Aija shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Be careful," Luka's tone dripped with concern. He patted Aija once on the head before heading out.

"Will you be here?" she asked Xan.

"Yes, Ms Niyarah."

Zuri and Aija dressed into gear. Zuri in the black one she'd left Sier Ghat in and Aija in a maroon one she'd acquired from the stash in the house. They donned their overcoats, and when Aija stepped into the bathroom, Zuri checked to ensure the Izemirn gun was still in the overcoat. It was the one Etrie had given her for the Ker'zan. She'd kept it hidden in the Sier Ghat house and picked it when they'd had to leave. The gun still had two Izemirn shots in it, unused. Zuri had wanted to kill Thieron with it if things with the Àvo went awry, but it remained untouched. She may not need it against humans, but its presence reassured her. No one knew she had it, not even Nala.

"I'm serious, Zu," Aija came out, face washed, hair braided at the top. "Be careful out there."

"You too, Ai,"

Aija hugged Zuri, tiny in her embrace. Zuri wondered what it would feel like to be petite and be held in someone's arms. Zuri matched Nala in height and had always been tall, never small enough to fit snuggly in someone's hold. Perhaps, one day, Alex would grow taller and broader than her.

**

"What are these?" Zuri eyed the transports Var-Inu had procured for them.

"Land-skiffs," Nala answered.

The open-transports hovered over land.

"These look funny," Zuri's words were drowned by the sound of jets, and she wished the strategy to disable them had worked.

The land-skiffs were volant and took them to the Settlements in no time. But the fight had begun; the Leadership's Army was pummelling the land with their bombs. Smoke billowed up, seen from afar. On the ground, chaos ruled. It was dark, but Zuri could see the Army dressed in black, looking like the Secures, firing at other uniformed humans – must be the Gale. There were also non-uniformed people who fought with what looked like spears.

The land-skiffs halted, and everyone rushed to join the battle. Zuri stood, stupefied, in the skiff, a fear that hadn't existed trickling in. She'd never experienced anything of this scale, not the Ker'zan, not the fight against the Ytai on the way to the Open. This was insane.

"Zuri," Nala took her hand. "Zuri,"

Zuri bit the insides of her cheeks, steeling herself.

"You don't have to do this,"

"I must," Zuri faced Nala.

"You don't,"

She did. She couldn't run away, not now.

Zuri jumped out of the skiff. "I can, Iro'h. I'll see you?"

Nala nodded and kissed her; Zuri hoped it wouldn't be the last.

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